Lately, the “do-it-yourself” attitude is no longer limited to simple house and car repairs. It’s common to hear of people handling their own personal injury claims and meeting with ruthless insurance companies without the help of a professional. It’s so easy to assume that in cases where injury is less severe that the case will be simple to handle. This is a big misconception. Whether you deem your personal injury case as being small or big, it’s important to secure the services of a lawyer before you even meet with an insurance company.
In personal injury cases, be prepared for individuals to not take responsibility for their actions even when it’s evident that they were at fault for your injury. Usually, in these types of cases insurance companies are unfair and will offer you a low settlement. Why? Well, insurance companies are just like any other business. The main goal is to maximize profits and that’s done by under-compensating.
Also, many people are unaware that as the victim, you are responsible for proving negligence on the part of the other party, proving that you are not a fault and you also have the obligation of providing proof of the damage that was done. By law you are also required to mitigate or minimize the damage. Here are a few things you will have to consider:
– What kind of proof do I have that showcases damage or the injuries that I have sustained from this incident?
– What clearly constitutes negligence from the opposing party?
– What shows that I took the appropriate measures to avoid further loss to minimize damage from the injury?
When you go to meet agents from an insurance company or if you converse with them over the phone, it’s common for their adjusters to record the interaction. This is done for several reasons. One of the most obvious reasons is that they want a record of all the facts related to the injury.
You will also be asked key questions. When answering the questions you could unknowingly admit to something that the insurance company can use to deny your request for compensation or that could significantly decrease your settlement. Also, you may be asked personal information such as your social security number, driving license number and a host of other information. This information could be used to find out if you have ever filed for any other insurance claims whether it’s via your own insurance company or a past personal injury claim. They may even try to use this information to question your liability.
Now that you are away of what you will be experiencing when dealing with a personal injury claim, do you see why it’s important to seek the help of an experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer? A good lawyer will properly build your case, negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company and if needed will take the case to trial. They’ll also coach you on the right things to say when meeting with insurance companies.